Chapter 23: Overdrive Unleashed
The core of Abyssal Sect was their magical ritual chamber. Dark energies coursed through it like a heartbeat; runes on the walls and floor pulsed with crimson light that matched the rhythmic chanting from the ritual participants. Towering above the rest of them was Soso, chained and bound in place, with glowing chains attempting to suck what life force remained within her.
As Echon looked out over the room, he felt his muscles tense up and his mind race with thoughts of Soso and the unstoppable force that was about to be unleashed when he went into overdrive mode.
Once he entered overdrive, Echon had instant access to his heightened physical attributes. His movements were fluid yet they seemed to have the precise intention of bringing the enforcers down by creating chaotic conditions in the area surrounding their position. As he moved in on them, the three senior enforcers who were wielding dual enchanted swords with lethal edges filled the space around him, while two additional enforcers flanked them with magical daggers that could slice through stone.
Echon had no control over his body at that point; it was responding to his instincts. Overdrive was surging through him violently, giving him heightened muscle reaction, heightened nerve reaction, and heightened reflex reaction. His movements were exceedingly fast, but the strikes he used against the enforcers were very much planned as he was striking with ghost-like speed and pure precision.
Echon's heartbeat and breathing were perfectly synchronized; his thoughts and movements had become one.
The first wave of attacks came together as a coordinated strike of dual sword strikes from opposite ends of the chamber. Echon rolled into the arc created by one of the swords while vaulting off a fallen pillar directly below him. As he vaulted into the air, he used one of the other enforcers' daggers to strike precisely at one of their sword-wielders in the center of their body as he landed.
When he landed on the floor, he spun around with elbow and knee strikes that caused the second enforcer to become disoriented and fall down. The movement had become a dance: flips and rolls done while dodging swinging blades and magical arcs; throwing daggers that could disarm, incapacitate and redirect an enemy's movements; striking at joints, necks or pressure points with precision accuracy; utilizing the environment (pillars, chains, platforms, and debris) as weapons.
"Every moved is calculated, every hit is for Soso."
One of the more experienced enforcers swung a downward angled strike that contained dark energy through the use of a magical rune/marking. Echo ducked beneath the swing and vaulted over the top using a twist move to redirect the same object back towards the first enforcer, forcing the enforcer into a pillar that contained magical runes on it, creating a small energy burst (no damage) from the impact; with no pause or hesitation, he threw a dagger that severed the chain that held Soso prisoner. "Just about there... one more time."
The next enforcer attempted to fake Echo out on two occasions. Even the best of fighters have only been successfully fooled by such tricks two times for various reasons, although Echo had never been fooled by the same or similar deceptions twice.
Utilizing Overdrive-enhanced reflexes and perception, Echo was able to read the micro-expressions of the enforcer and predict where their true strike would go, and after vaulting backwards and rolling on the floor quickly, he was able to spin around to punch the first enforcer out of the way to the nearest wall and with an elbow strike to the side of the second enforcer in a short amount of time; creating a visual blur around him at the speed that would have to be seen to be believed.
Soso's intelligence was secretly helping again:
Subtle signals: "To the left... time it right... to the third rune pulse!"
She also moved the chains as much as she could in their restraints to create small, but very important, advantages for Echo.
They worked together as one and were in sync — their movements and skills blending together for success despite impossible odds.
Overdrive accelerated exponentially, pushing Echo beyond normal capabilities.
He avoided numerous magical daggers being thrown at him and landed on top of a raised platform after doing a flip through the air.
While the two enforcers that had been pursuing him from opposing sides closed in, he blindingly and precisely struck both of them in rapid succession.
The chamber turned into a weapon as Echo utilized the chains to vault himself, the rubble on the ground for cover, and the walls to redirect the energy that was being charged by the chains against the enforcers.
The climax of the battle occurred when there were rapid flips performed, daggers thrown to exact locations to achieve successful disarming and/or pressure point striking.
One of the enforcers attempted to magically shoot Echo; he slid underneath the energy bolt, vaulted off of the ground and spun in mid-air and struck the enforcer with a kick that sent the enforcer crashing into the rune wall on the opposite side of the room.
The other enforcer attempted to attack him from the side, however Echo vaulted off the ground, performed a flip and landed on his feet while throwing a spinning dagger that disarmed and staggered him.
"Overdrive... this is its true power. I will save you, Soso. I cannot fail."
As the chaotic events came to and end,
Four members of the upper sect were left incapacitated and disarmed.
Soso's chains were partially chopped up and softly glowing as their magic diminished. Echo stood in front of Soso, breathing steadily in spite of the surges from Overdrive, keeping himself between Soso and the other threats. Very much in control of himself throughout the entire Overdrive sequence, Echo not only fought but calculated angles, determined priority of targets and used his environment to help him succeed.
The remaining enforcers were working together in an attempt to flank Echo but each of their attempts was met with precise countermeasures that used what were otherwise strengths against them. Various means of performing flips, rolls, vaults and numerous dagger attacks flowed together with every motion appearing as though they were part of a film where the action was pre-planned to be executed accordingly.
Soso saw a small opening and said "The chain...the center link. That is where you need to focus. Timing…". Echo attacked, understanding Soso's input and lunged at the center chain link, spinning the dagger so that he hit it with sufficient force to break free from that chain. After Echo broke the chain, the runic symbols upon the remaining chains fell off and then disappeared as the magic of the chains lost its effectiveness.
"You are free..... Soso. You can breathe now. You are free at last". With Soso free, Echo became immediately alert and went into Overdrive, prepared to protect Soso as they prepared to go against the leaders of the Abyssal Sect. With everything that happened in the room leading up to this moment, it was as if time stood still.
Each pulse, each movement, each strike led to this moment and Echo, through his Overdrive, remained protective of Soso and was continuing to take out any remaining threats while preparing to face the final challenge.
"Overdrive unleashed...Finally, the last fight begins. No one or nothing shall prevent us from accomplishing this task. No one or nothing shall harm Soso".